Martin Parr

Martin Parr (* May 23, 1952 in Epsom, Surrey ) is a British photographer.

Life

Martin Parr was born in 1952 in Epsom, Surrey and studied 1970-1973 Photography in Manchester.

In addition to his work as a freelance photographer Parr took over again at teaching. After a long debate, he was in 1994 a member of the Magnum Photos agency. Within the agency ran campaigns that would prevent his inclusion, but ultimately had to bend his opponent of democratic decision-making. Critics considered his photographic style as too provocative and accused him of wanting to make fun of others.

Work and significance

Parr provoked by photographed motifs of everyday stereotypes. He holds flavor derailments and shows the ugly, which is usually avoided or retouched as an image subject. His photographs thus stand out from the usual art, lipstick reality or alienated stylistically. Unvarnished motives of mass tourism, precarious and the company as well as nobility of aging people are among his priorities. He documented especially the British popular culture.

Since 1990, he also deals with the art of film mainly as a cameraman, documentary filmmaker and producer.

Parr participated in over 80 exhibitions in the U.S. and Europe and has over 50 books published. More than twenty books have been published about him. Parr is thus one of the most famous British photographer who is also in Germany over the country's borders, especially in France but known.

Parr as a collector

Parr collects daily photos of other, postcards, trinkets, printed with images objects and dramatically designed packaging. These collections are the subject of several books and exhibitions. His collection also includes objects about 13,000 volumes of photographs, memorabilia about Margaret Thatcher, collector's plates and memorabilia about Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden. Collecting and taking pictures, the journalist Alex Rühle wrote in the Süddeutsche Zeitung, for Parr are two sides of the same coin (quote Parr ):

" The photographing, collecting and emerged from the collection curation - these are all variants of documenting. Or spoken conversely, when I photograph, I collect, too. Show what is there. Collecting what is there. "

Photo technology

Previously Parr photographed in black / white to show an "extra real polarized representation ", now digitally in color or. His paintings often show a garish colors with high saturation. In addition to experiments with medium format cameras Parr works primarily with small-format camera. He often used a ring flash to lighten in daylight and combines this with a macro lens.

Quotes

"When people cry at the same time looking at my pictures and laugh, then that is exactly the reaction that cause the pictures with me. Things are neither fundamentally good nor bad. I am always interested to represent both extremes. "

Work

• Life's a Beach, Schirmer / Mosel, Munich, 2013, ISBN 978-3-8296-0638-7.
• Martin Parr, Gerry Badger: The Photobook: A History. 2 volumes. Phaidon Press, London 2004/ 06 release. Vol 1, 2004. ISBN 0-7148-4285-0.
• Vol 2, 2006. ISBN 0-7148-4433-0.